title: High prevalence rate of left superior vena cava determined by echocardiography in patients with congenital heart disease in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) is one of the common anomalies of the systemic veins. Its prevalence is 0.1-0.3% in the general population and is more common with congenital heart disease (CHD). The importance of detecting persistent LSVC prior to cardiac surgery is paramount for systemic veins cannulations.
  
  
  
  The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of persistent LSVC in patients with CHD in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  
  All patients referred to our institution had echocardiography. All complete studies were reviewed for the presence of persistent LSVC. A computerized database was created including the demographic data, CHD diagnoses, and the presence of persistent LSVC.
  
  
  
  A total of 2,042 were examined with an age range of 1 day to 16 years. The complete echocardiographic studies were 1,832 (90%) of whom 738 (40%) patients had CHD. The prevalence of persistent LSVC in patients with CHD was 7.8% (OR 9.26, 95% CI 4.7-18.2, p<0.001). The most common cardiac defect associated with persistent LSVC was complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD); all patients with AVSD had Down syndrome. The total number of patients with AVSD was 41, and persistent LSVC was found in 11 (26%) of them (odds ratio 5.1, 95% CI 2.4-10.8, p<0.001).
  
  
  
  The prevalence of persistent LSVC in the current population is almost double the reported prevalence obtained using the same echocardiographic screening tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Cardiology, PSHC, King Fahd Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ghada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shiekh Eldin
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Segaier
authors.forename: Mohammed Omer
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Galal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015995:Prevalence; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Down syndrome; atrioventricular septal defect; congenital heart disease; left superior vena cava